In recent years, electron microscopes which are one type of charged particle beam apparatus are being applied to measurement of semiconductor device patterns and fault inspections. A Critical-Dimension Scanning Electron Microscope (hereafter CD-SEM) for example is utilized to measure the gate dimensions of semiconductor devices and a fault inspection SEM is utilized in fault inspections. Moreover, a scanning electron microscope is utilized for conductance inspections in deep hole for wiring by utilizing the contrast in voltage potential.
In the patent literature 1 on the other hand, an ion beam machining device is disclosed that suppresses electrical charges by irradiating ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet light source mounted in a vacuum chamber in order to remove electrical charges in a sample within a device containing a vacuum chamber the same as an electron microscope.